Anyone declawing a cat??????

Question

Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat

My question is CLEAR !! Anyone declawing a cat?

Is declawing a cat inhumane??
For Stingray:
Does it make me "discusting" to want to protect a cat from an inhume act??

Thank you all for your responses!! Its great to see so many against such a barbaric act of cruelty, and are willing to stand up and be counted!!! I'm just sorry I cannot give you all 10 points!!

Answer 1

Yes, your question was very clear. No problem there. The reasons people should NOT declaw were also very clear. No problem there either. We need more people like you willing to tell it like it is about pet health care. Declawing a cat is one of the worst things anyone can do to their cat and it is totally sensless. People would rather maime their cats than to actaully take the time and energy to TRAIN them to use a scratching post. I have 3 cats , they have not been mutilated, they have been trained. My furniture is intact. People think that just because their cat can walk and some use the litter box after amputating their toes that all is fine. NOT so, sometimes the physical problems, the added stress on the leg and back joints that is created by "declawing" does not show up till later. Then they have a cat that can hardly walk when it didn't have to be so! Again....good for you!

Answer 2

AMEN! If people realized what declawing really is, few would actually do it! Did you know it's BANNED in many other industrialized countries (England, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and Japan to name a few)!?! Bone, tendon & muscle tissue all need to be removed... it's NOTHING like a human having a nail removed.

At the shelter, we see SOOOOOOO many declawed cats come in (as owner release cats - where the owner is sick of them)... often due to behavioral problems that surfaced after being declawed. Many develop litterbox problems (after they learn to associate the litterbox with PAIN from digging their freshly amputated digits into the rough sand) and many become biters, since their main line of defense has been taken away.

If someone absolutely positively MUST have a declawed cat, they can always go adopt one who has already been declawed from any shelter (not all of them have the aforementioned problems).

If people would just realize that with a little common sense you can TRAIN a cat to NOT destroy your furniture, etc... maybe they wouldn't be so quick to have their kitty's fingers amputated. Most cats, when offered a GOOD QUALITY scratch post that's tall enough for a good stretch, will opt to use it rather than the furniture.

Anyone thinking of doing this to their cat should do a quick internet search on "declawing". Take a look at all the lovely pictures and read through the dozens and dozens of sites that say why it's so horrible. Interestingly, there's only a couple sites that actually support the proceedure. That should give people a clue.

Thanks for the well-written post! I'm with ya!

Answer 3

To anyone intending to clip or declaw a cat it's their main line of defence from all those stray dogs, and any other animal be it four legs or two.To any one thinking of declawing, how would you like if I came along and whipped out both your finger and toe nails at the same time,?I am sure you wouldn't.

Answer 4

I will never declaw a cat. A declawed cat is more likley to bite, since they know they can't scratch first and cats bites can easily get infected! Plus I find a simple spray bottle that you can get at wal-mart for $1.47 has the same effect to stop you cat from scratching the furniture. Maybe one day we'll learn that it's wrong to cut things off our pets. Liek puppies tails and ears! The only surgary that every pet should get is getting spayed or neutered!!!

Answer 5

you can't get a cat declawed in the UK either. I had a friend, many years ago now, who got her cat declawed, she never thought of it as crual. But times change and I am sure she would feel differently about doing such a thing now.

Answer 6

I was going to declaw my cat....but then I did a little research on the subject. I cancelled the appointment the next day....both my cats have their claws and I just put out plenty of scratching posts and keep their nails trimmed.

I couldn't pay 100 bucks to forever alter my cats just for my convenience. I like my cats more than my stupid stuff....besides...my sister's sweet kitten turned EVIL after she had all four paws delcawed.

No thanks.

Answer 7

We own two tabby cats and I agree with you about declawing,we wouldnt do that to our cats,
besides everything else claws are a cats only defence.

Answer 8

AMEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank the good LORD there are still people out there like y'all who DO NOT declaw cats!!!!!! Some people do this so the cat doesn't scratch the furniture.......I say..........screw that! Just take some time & paticents with the cat & TEACH him not to scratch on the funiture! I have 5 cats & NOT a ONE scratch my funiture because I "take time" to teach then to scratch on their "scratch boards."

Answer 9

You might have got on your soapbox about this, but I don't think it counts towards your 15 minutes of fame.

Seriously, though, declawing shouldn't be allowed anywhere in the world. Cats were given claws for a purpose.

Answer 10

I totally agree, and hopefully even though you didn't ask a question that you informed someone out there that was considering declawing and maybe now will reconsider. There are now many vets that refuse to do this surgery.